1 week ago
Lecture Rooms Bring Back Learning To Urban India’s Weekends
Some people in Calcutta are meeting at pubs to learn interesting things.
One group, called Tipsy Night School, recently held a talk about space and time.
About 50 people listened, took notes and asked questions.
The talks are not only about science; they also discuss art, history, farming and news.
Similar learning events happen in cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
The organisers want learning to be easier to access after people leave college.
Many adults say they miss being in a classroom without exams or job pressure.
These events also help people meet others who enjoy learning.
Tipsy Night School drew about 50 people to a Calcutta pub for an astrophysics lecture.
Proiti Seal Acharya and Analina Sanyal created the series to offer accessible learning outside traditional institutions.
The talks have covered science, Bengal’s wrestlers, media literacy, sustainable farming, Partition and science fiction.
Lecture groups including unLecture, Nerd Nite and Pint of View are expanding similar events across Indian cities.
Organisers say adults miss the classroom’s intellectual freedom when it is separated from exams and career pressures.
- Who
- Tipsy Night School, founded by Proiti Seal Acharya and Analina Sanyal, along with lecturers and adult audiences.
- What
- A series of informal public lectures covering subjects including astrophysics, art, media, farming, history and science fiction.
- Where
- The events began at a popular pub in central Calcutta, with similar lecture groups operating across Indian cities.
- When
- The first reported lecture took place on a Sunday evening; later lectures followed as part of the ongoing series.
- Why
- The organisers wanted to make learning accessible outside formal institutions and create more intellectually fulfilling weekend activities.
Key facts
- Organiser
- Tipsy Night School, founded by Proiti Seal Acharya and Analina Sanyal.
- First lecture
- Hidden Mysteries of Space and Time, delivered by Soumitra Sengupta.
- First audience
- About 50 people attended the astrophysics lecture.
- Venue
- A popular pub in central Calcutta.
- Topics
- The series has included science, art, media literacy, sustainable farming, Partition and science fiction.
- Ticket prices
- Tickets for some comparable lecture events range from ₹600 to ₹1,000.
- Other groups
- unLecture, Nerd Nite, Pint of View and the Society of Intellectuals run similar events in Indian cities.
Quotes
Proiti Seal Acharya
Co-founder of Tipsy Night School in Calcutta
“Once we left college and joined the corporate world, we missed the classroom environment. So we started unLecture to make learning more accessible. We removed the institutional barrier and brought college classrooms to the people.”
telegraphindia.com
“One would hear people say that nothing much happens in Calcutta. We wanted to change that.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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